


The Man Behind The Mask

by Geisali



Category: Mortal Kombat (Video Games), Mortal Kombat - All Media Types
Genre: Costume Parties & Masquerades, Dancing, Drug Use, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Smut, My First Smut, Slow Dancing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-25
Updated: 2019-02-25
Packaged: 2019-10-17 12:49:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17560697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geisali/pseuds/Geisali
Summary: You are offered a once in a lifetime chance to visit Outworld. You meet a strange and beautiful person in a strange and beautiful place.





	1. Outlands of Outworld

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Tarkata!Erron Black x Reader](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7068877) by [orphan_account](https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account). 



> I tried describing Outworld as best I could and using canon landmarks sorry if I don't get all the details right.
> 
> First Mortal Kombat fic I've ever written. Let me know what you think.
> 
> Also HUGE HUGE shutout to Tarkata!Erron Black x Reader by orphan_account it was a HUGE inspiration for this story and it deserves some love *mwah*

It was your first time visiting Outworld and had no idea what to expect. It was crazy that you got to go in the first place. You were part of the first ever civilians from Eathrealm to go to any of the other realms. You had chosen to go to Outworld. You had read a handful of books about the realm. Mainly about tbe geography, from Mt. Eterna to the hidden oasis of the Drylands. You were so excited but only now were you beginning to regret it. The place was more of a heat haze nightmare than an exotic getaway. You sighed and shook your head, you should be honored to be here. 

You had been portalled to a small village and were greeted by human soldiers. Each soldier wore their respective flag on their bicep that was surrounded by the ocean blue colored uniform. You desperately wanted some water. Snapping yourself out of your thoughts you noticed that the soldiers' presence was strange. It had been years since the Outworld civil war and Tarkatan sightings were few and far between. Well, better safe than sorry you thought. 

As you were led though the village you were shocked. Although you had already read about it, no book could've done it justice. The sky was tinted a light purple and royal purple where the clouds overhead covered it. You opened up your phone, you knew you couldn't call home but you were not missing the chance to take pictures. After you snapped a pic (that did not do the foreign sky any justice) you stood there slack-jawed and unmoving until you felt a hand on your shoulder. "We gotta get a move on darlin', or we're gonna get left behind" is what you registered before your mouth hung open again. You looked over at the man who had addressed you and figured that he was human but he didn't look like any of the other Earthrealm soldiers. You heard a chuckle from the cowboy next to you and that's when you finally you came to your senses and chilled for a bit. You cleared your throat and followed the man in the big hat. The rest of the group was walking toward a building at the edge of town. As you entered the building you noticed that there was a slow shift from Earthrealm soldiers to Outworld ones. You looked at the cowboy and asked "Aren't you supposed to hang out over there?" pointing to where the last of the Earthrealm forces were. He shook his head and said "Nah. I'm human but Earth ain't my home no more." You shot him a curious look but before you could press the issue further you were handed a small ticket. You stared at it to no avail as you couldn't make out what it said but before you could ask what it was for you were ushered to the outside of the building. The door opened up to a large green field, a stark contrast to the surrounding desert. As you moved forward, you couldn't believe your eyes. You had knew that that the beings of Outworld didn't use motorized vehicles but you weren't ready for what you saw. There was a large dragon made of wood and metal and in the center was a large platform to stand on. As you approached the wooden dragon thing, tickets were being checked. As you looked around you saw that your fellow humans weren't the only ones coming aboard. There were some locals as well as a good amount of Outworld soldiers. Even the sexy cowboy, not that you were looking for him you though.

You moved to the front of dragon contraption, the condragtion you decided to name it, and leaned on the railing. You sighed towards the purple sky and this time took a mental picture. More of a video really, capturing the heat and how the wind whisked it away. The smell of the dry air and the noise that condragtion was making beneath your feet. You breathed in, this wasn't paradise, but it was damn close.


	2. Outlaw of Outworld

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I don't know. I love what I do and where I do it. I feel like I got it made here." He shrugged and looked into your eyes with a sincere look on his face. "I feel like I belong here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So so so so sorry for not updating sooner I just got a lot of stuff going on. Hopefully this chapter will make up for my insolence also I pulled some of this geography out of my ass lol. 
> 
> As always please let me know what you think.

As you moved forward in the condragtion, a dragonfly it was called (real original), the sun began to set. The sky turned an even darker purple and was accompanied with bright blue and green at the horizon, creating the most beautiful sunset you'd ever seen. 

At the exact same time fires were lit at the front and back of the dragonfly, making the dragon head more ominous. As time went by the night air grew colder and you moved toward the fire in the very front. There you saw a familiar figure.

He turned his head toward you and smiled, even though you couldn't see under his mask, his smile reached all the way up to his eyes. You stood to his left and looked over at him, your question already formed in your mind. "So cowboy, if you don't mind me asking, why do you live here and not on Earth?" He sighed audibly while leaned over the rail and stared up toward the stars, somehow they shone brighter here. 

"I don't know. I love what I do and where I do it. I feel like I got it made here." He shrugged and looked into your eyes with a sincere look on his face. "I feel like I belong here." 

You smiled and made a noise of appreciation. "I get that. Very few people follow their dreams, let alone find somewhere perfect to pursue them." He returned your smile and continued looking upward. You followed his gaze and only then did you notice the two moons above your head. How you missed it? You'll never know. One looked like Earth's moon but larger while the other was smaller and shone light blue. 

"How many moons does Outworld have?" The cowboy tilted his head back to get a better look at the moons and sighed thoughtfully. You caught yourself staring at the furrow of his brows and took your time moving your eyes downward. "Technically three but there's a nearby asteroid with its own moon." Your eyes darted back to his face from his crotch and you whimpered to yourself. Pathetic. You thought. "You can see it for about half of the year, during fall and winter." While processing this new information you started to look around to see if you could spot the other moons but to no avail. 

"What are their names?" You asked. "The asteroid moon is named Ina. Jukuai is the blue one, the bigger one is Orvux and Ushido is hard to spot. That's why he's the god of assassins." He paused and then added "Like me." Your eyes widened a bit but you weren't too surprised considering the pistols strapped to his sides.

His eyes smiled at your slightly scared expression and you heard him laugh. "Don't worry sugar, I won't touch a hair on that pretty head of yours." You couldn't help it, you blushed like a lovestruck teenager with twice the shame.

Trying to display some semblance of reason, you tried to continue your previous conversation. "What do the moons' names stand for?" You asked awkwardly. The cowboy didn't seem to mind the change in subject and continued. "No idea. The Emperor told me but the only thing that stuck were the names I guess."

You laughed but then what he said caught up with you. Why did he know the Emperor, who the hell was he? "So now that I know the moons' names, what's yours?" You finally asked. He smiled and straightened up. "The name's Erron Black." He stated grandly while tipping his hat towards you. "One of the Emperor's personal hitmen and full-time cowboy. And you sugar?" You laughed and took a step forward and shook his hand. "The name's (y/n)&(l/n). No title."

He laughed and only let go of you hand when he noticed you staring at it. He continued smiling as he leaned over the railing once again. You mirrored his position and stared out at the figures made clear under the moonlight. The silence between you two wasn't awkward and wow that was a nice change. Your daydreaming was interrupted by a low horn in the distance. You stood at attention, it kinda sounded like a war horn if you were being honest. After a few heartbeats an Outworld soldier mimicked the tune with their own horn, matching their pitch.

Soon enough the dragonfly landed and the passengers were ushered through a large gate that opened up to a giant city. "Welcome to Z'Unkahrah angel" Erron muttered right next your ear. You smiled back at him and drank in the sight before you.


	3. Outing in Outworld

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Sorry angel, for a girl like you" at this point he looked you up and down, "I'd say anything."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank the Elder Gods, some semblance of a plot. I kinda tried to match it up to the new game and using details from old games, the best of both worlds you know? Imma keep going with the story line even though his face is shown in MK11 cuz I'm a rebellious child. 
> 
> On semi-hiatus btw. Got writer's block and things to do. If you guys have any requests on this fic or another let me know.
> 
> Probably made this longer than I should've but I wanted to make it up to y'all.

As you were escroted into Outworld's capital city, your smile was illuminated by the moons above and the street lamps that seemed to be everywhere. The buildings were made of stone and had a pretty basic design with an awning above every other window. The streets were wide and paved and buzzing with activity. You passed by multiple shops selling items ranging from clothes and food to exotic animals and trinkets. Bars were full and pockets were being emptied, you decided you liked Z'unkarah.

As your entourage of tourists continued you received various looks from the locals but no one approached you. It was becoming harder and harder to follow the soldiers and you eventually lost sight of them. You sighed, the many distractions that Outworld's capital city offered definitely didn't help you focus either. Realizing your situation you began to panic and ran straight ahead, dodging carts, bystanders and large animals until your ran smack dab into someone else's back. You landed on your ass and tried to get your bearings. A hand was offered to you and you took it. 

"Better watch were you're going sweetheart." Recognizing the voice immediately you blushed and awkwardly laughed. "Sorry, it's just that I got lost. Getting lost in another city is one thing but getting lost on another planet is on a whole other level." He chuckled and nodded. "Then stick with me. Promise you won't get lost" he said and winked at you and squeezed your hand tighter. A little ways away the group was led to a giant set of stairs. When you reached the top you stopped dead in your tracks. Struggling to catch your breath you mumbled out "This is the Emperor's palace isn't it?" Erron nodded, expression serious and led you through the palace's front doors. 

The doors opened up to a throne room and in the back of it sat the Emperor himself. His blue-green skin stood out from that of his servants. He had piercing blue eyes and a black nose piercing. He seemed disinterested yet completely focused on us at the same time. He wore a metal helmet in the shape of an eagle that spread all the way to his broad shoulders. He also wore wrist guards and a loincloth, which after further inspection had bones attached to it. It sent a shiver down your spine. You gawked at the Emperor's towering presence which earned you one last reassuring hand squeeze from Erron. He nodded at you as he let you go, a sigh from him barely registered in your ears.

There was a moment of silence as the group stood before the Emporer. Do we kneel? You thought and looked over to see what Erron was doing. He stood directly in front of him with his hands perfectly at his side and bowed. "Kotal Kahn, these are our Earthrealm guests." The Emperor scanned the crowd slowly, his gaze locking you in place and thanked Erron. 

"Welcome everyone." Said Kotal Kahn in a booming voice. He had an air of confidence about him but without vanity. "It is an honor to meet you all and to once again be at peace with Earthrealm." He stated sincerely. "In celebration of the union between our two realms my palace will be hosting a masquerade, which you are all invited to." His eyes shone a but brighter and a ghost of a smile formed at his lips. "In the meantime you will be shown your quarters and given time to explore Z'unkarah's markets, free of charge." The Emperor stood from his throne and walked toward the crowd. "It brings me such joy to have you all here, until tomorrow." He nodded with a smile towards Erron and moved back towards his throne. 

_________________

The humans were shown their rooms as promised and were invited to the mess hall for dinner. There you met the other assassins that were on Kotal Kahn's payroll. That included Reptile, Ermac and a curious creature named Ferra with what looked like a small child strapped to her back. As you began eating your food you looked around the giant castle, it was like a fortress. You wondered how many times its sturdy walls had to withstand an attack. As your eyes wandered they found their way to kohl covered eyes, which brightened once they noticed you. You stared at the deep brown orbs and smiled as the body they belonged to beelined towards your table.

As Erron approached he slowed his pace and instead of sitting closer to his comrades or in any of the other empty seats, he sat in the chair right next to you. The other assassins at the table stared at him curiously but only one spoke. "I ssee you're already making friendss Erron." Reptile muttered through his sharp teeth and between chuckles, Erron shot him a heated look. "Hopefully thiss one lastss longer than the other one." He choked out, clearly struggling to contain his laughter. "In more wayss than one." The table you sat at and the ones around you erupted into laughter.

You and Erron had polar opposite reactions. You blushed and tilted your head down in shame, trying to look as small as possible. While Erron looked murderous as he stood up with enough speed to knock his chair over and back a few inches. "You're not gonna sound so tough with a gun in your mouth." Hissed Erron through his clenched teeth. Reptile wiped a tear away and mirrored Erron's stance, ready to challenge the man currently thinking about a million ways he could kill the lizard. Erron's fists clenching were the only warning you received before he jumped over the table and kicked Reptile in the face. The Saurian in turn rolled with it and licked the blood off his face with a smile. He ran towards the cowboy and landed a series of punches and eventually spat at him. Your eyes almost popped out of your head when the spit burned a hole into the ground. The green humanoid fucking spit acid. 

Erron dodged the spit but you knew the fight was going to get out of hand. You looked around to see if anyone would do anything about the two mercenaries that were about to tear up the dining hall but found no one. What you did see was one of the humans pull out a bag of popcorn and begin munching on it as if the fight was put on just for him. You sighed, you had to break up the fight. Erron pulled out his pistols and began shooting at Reptile. Reptile suddenly crumpled to the ground as you stood behind the cowboy and began pulling at his biceps to try and get him to lower his guns. Once he finally did you stood in front of him and pushed him away from were Reptile's body lay.

"I get that he was being an asshole but that doesn't mean you had to kill him." You shouted as tears began to form at your eyes. Erron holstered his weapons and wrapped his arms around you. You tried to push him away but he just kept trying to embrace you. Eventually you gave up and welcomed his presence. He whispered into you hair "Oh honey, it takes more than that to kill a Saurian." You looked up at him confused and he wiped the tears away from your face. He ran his his finger over your lips as he did so, as if he wanted to kiss you. It sent a welcomed shiver down your entire body. Sensing this Erron slid his hand to your lower back but stepped away from you a bit. Erron pointed over to were Reptile's corpse was and your jaw dropped open when you saw that Reptile stood before you totally not dead. You heard thundering footsteps that grew louder as a stampede of the Emporer's guards, followed by the man of the hour entered the mess hall. Before you turned to face Kotal Kahn's disappointed face you saw Ermac give the child on Ferra's back a gold coin, the child chirped happily. The Kahn looked just as murderous as Erron had a couple of minutes ago and practically dragged two of his top assassins to the throne room.

You hoped that Erron hadn't gotten into too much trouble as you walked back to your room. Once there you began unpacking your things and heard a knock on your door. It was Erron. "What's up?" You asked. He shrugged shifting nervously "I just wanted to let you know that I'm sorry for how I overreacted today." He didn't meet your eyes as he fidgeted with the clasps of his mask. "No you're not." You stated blankly. He looked up at you confused. "The Emperor sent you to come apologize to me, didn't he?" His silence meant that your suspicions were correct. He shifted nervously until you crossed your arms and said "Fine, I'll accept your apology but you gotta be honest from this point on." The assassins' eyes squinted in happiness. "I promise." He paused and rubbed the back of his neck "And- and if you need anything, you let me know. Okay dollface?" You blushed yet again and nodded. He laughed nervously and left with a goodnight.

__________________

The next morning you woke up to a knock on your door. You sat up and holy cow it was so hot. You were sweating through your clothes. You reached for the door and opened it hoping it was Erron but came face-to-face with a servant. You sighed inwardly and asked if she needed something. She shook her head and said that she was sent to wake up all Earthrealm guests. You thanked her and closed the door.

You decided to take a cold shower to help battle the heat. It worked but not for long. You decided to wear a crop top and some shorts. Hopefully you'd be able to survive Outworld.

You walked alone to the mess hall for breakfast. You spotted Erron and sat next to him. "Morning sunshine!" He said as you started eating. You waited until you swallowed your food to answer. "How's my knight in shining armor doing?" He chuckled "Hmm, I'm a little lonely." followed by a wink. You laughed in response.

"Where are we going today?" You asked when your mouth was empty. "Shopping of course." He replied with his eyes uninterested. "What are you gonna wear?" You blurted out. "I don't know yet. Why? Do you have any suggestions?" You thought for a minute and nodded your head. "You should go as a western sheriff or a musketeer or- or even better, Zorro!!" He seemed to think for a minute. "Who's Zorro?" Oh geez. Guess it was time to catch him up to speed on Earth's pop culture.

Looking around the marketplace, you were stuck on what you wanted to wear. There were SO many options and the shop owners were practically begging the humans to purchase items from them. "They get paid double the price on anything you get from their stands." He explained as the merchants avoided making eye contact with him. You nodded your head in understanding and started grabbing a couple of items from very shop you passed.

In the end you found a hypnotically beautiful mask that felt like it was meant for you. The masked looked like a white tiger- er Taigore, the shopkeeper had explained. You had no idea what those were but it did explain the small horns on the mask. For the rest of the outfit you decided to go with a simple white dress to contrast the intricate mask you wore and ti accessorize with black jewelry.

You continued exploring the markets and searching for Erron, only to stumble upon something just as magnificent. You rubbed your eyes as you walked towards it, sure that you were hallucinating it, the desert heat had gotten to you. The silver blade shone brighter and looked more intricate the closer you got. It looked like an exact replica. It looked like Zorro's sword. You lifted the sword up and laid it on your palms, you stood there in awe. As you were about to head into the shop to see what else you could find, you heard a deep growl behind you. Your eyes widened and your body tensed up, slowly but surely you turned around to see what had its sights set on you. Your heart kicked into overdrive. Ah, so that was a taigore.

_________________

You had never encountered a beast so deadly, it made tigers back home look like kittens. The taigore towered over you and had a reddish-brown coat. It had multiple horns and four glowing purple eyes that kept you in place. Even though your body wouldn't move your mind and heart were racing. You wracked your brain for how to deal with wildlife back home. For bears you make yourself look big but for mountain lions you run, and you run like you mean it. You couldn't outmuscle it, you couldn't outrun it and you were pretty sure you couldn't hide from it. That big-ass nose it had wasn't just for show you thought. Tigers, tigers how do you deal with tigers? Maybe if I stay still, it'll think I'm a statue. The taigore stepping closer to you indicated that no, it didn't think you were a statue. It was just a few paces from you when you began to break into a sweat, and not just because of the sun. You were running out of options fast. As a last resort you pursed you lips together and breathed out some air, hard at first then light and then back again, aiming it behind your top lip. You decided if this didn't work you'd use the sword and fight it like Zorro would. To your surprise and delight, the sound you created stopped the taigore in its tracks. The taigore looked at you curiously and copied you. Knowing full well what that meant you visibly relaxed your shoulders. You repeated the sound you made and the taigore laid down next to you and began licking your hand. The weird sensation caused you to laugh as you pet the top of its head around its horns.

"What the _hell_ was that?" You heard from your right side. You turned to see Erron staring at you partially in awe and partially in respect. You shrugged at him and began forming an answer "I honestly didn't think it was gonna work." You started. "I knew that tigers don't know how to purr so they chuff when they're happy or saying hi. So I thought that maybe a taigore would do the same thing and ta da!" You exclaimed showing off the taigore like it was a brand new car. "Also how long have you been standing there?" You asked defensively, knowing him he'd probably seen the whole thing and hadn't lifted a finger to save you. "Oh, little ol' me?" he asked, feigning innocence. "I just got here." You narrowed your eyes and you could _feel_ the shit eating grin underneath his mask. You rolled your eyes as he walked towards you. "What did I say about you lying to me?" He chuckled as he took your hands in his. "Sorry angel, for a girl like you" at this point he looked you up and down, "I'd say anything." You laugh and push him away gently with a hand on his chest. "Hold your horses there cowboy, I barely know you." He nodded his head in understanding, his tone suddenly changed to a more serious one "well it's a good thing we got time then." He winked and placed his forehead on your right temple. He sighed with relief and a hint of sadness when you reached up to run your fingers through his hair. The taigore seemed to get jealous and nudged at your hand with his head and a small horn until you gave in. The pair of you laughed and stood like that for a while.

On the way back to the palace you walked hand in hand with Erron and the sheathed sword at your side. You smiled at the purple haze sky and at the merchants who scattered once they saw you with Erron. You said nothing but made a mental note of it. Or it could've been the fact that the two of you were still being tailed by the taigore. You smiled at it but you knew they wouldn't let the animal near the palace, let alone in it. Once in front of the palace doors you turned around to face the gentle beast. You lightly pulled on one of its horns so that it would lean down to your height. The feline licked your face a couple of times before you asked it to stop while laughing. "I have to go buddy. But I'll see you soon, okay?" You felt the animal rubbing its head against you, almost knocking you back and chuffing. You laughed and chuffed back and headed into the palace reaching for the cowboy's hand again. As the two of you approached your room, Erron slowly let go of your hand. You turned around to face him. "Thank you for being my guide." You said. "I know I'd probably be dead by now if it wasn't for you. And as a token of my appreciation I wanna give you this." You removed the sword from your belt, sheath and all, and handed it to Erron. His eyebrows shot up a bit and his eyes sparkled. He cleared his throat. "Knowing you sugar, without me you'd still be alive. Hell, you'd probably be living it up as some leader's concubine, instead of being stuck in the Emporer's palace." You shook your head at him. "I'd take a grand castle like this over being some concubine anyday, that sounds horrible." He nodded but didn't say what was on his mind. "Thank you." He said and at your confused face clarified "For the gift, first gift I've gotten in a couple hundred years." It was your turn to have your eyebrows raised "That sucks." You comment. He shakes his head "Nah it ain't so bad. I prefer that people don't give me any, the last present I got was a sucker punch from Ma." His eyes dropped down in sadness and then quickly shifted to anger. When he looked up at you, it was in happiness. "But this is worlds better. Pun intended." He finished with a wink. You smiled as you tried to hide your reddening cheeks and leaned over to give him a kiss on the cheek. He stiffened and his eyes widened beyond belief as you stayed there for a few glorious heartbeats. It was his turn to blush, he was so grateful that he was wearing his mask. You giggled "I'm glad you liked it. I'll see you tomorrow okay?"

Hell yeah you'll see me tomorrow, he thought.


	4. Outkast of Outworld

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You were greeted with a "Holy shit (Y/N)!!!" and a sight that was totally unexpected. Erron stood in front of his bathroom mirror brushing his teeth but that wasn't what caused the both of you to freak out. It was the sharp teeth that were partially visible behind the toothpaste.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright. alright, alright. Sorry for the wait. As usual I take forever but this time I was extra stupid cuz I pressed the post button when I wasn't supposed to so yeah, sorry about that. Thank you for your patience and here you are:
> 
> P.S. Some parts of this chapter were inspired by Malec moments :3c

The next day you woke up to the same servant at your door. She gave you instructions to eat breakfast, change quickly and meet in the throne room in an hour. You nodded your head and closed the door, thanking her

You sat in the same place with that same people as you had a few days earlier. You caught Reptile and Erron shooting each other looks that spoke volumes. You lightly elbowed Erron's ribs to get him to stop. He grunted but obeyed. It took you a while but you began to notice that Erron would never eat. You wondered if he wasn't hungry or if he didn't like the food or if he ate in his room and then came out to socialize. The latter was a cute idea and your head decider to stick with it. Even after breakfast when the group was escorted to the throne room.

Kotal Kahn once again sat in his throne. His thundering voice rang through the crowd. "Good morning esteemed guests. I have summoned you all here to explain to you what you will be doing today." You buzzed with excitement. "As you all know the masquerade will be held tonight. But until then I open my castle to you all. And to ensure that none of you get lost each person will have an escort, who they will chose. If you have any questions you may ask me or any any of my staff." He said making a grand gesture to the various types of personnel standing around him. "I do hope you enjoy all that the palace has to offer. I will see you all later tonight."

As the grouped dispersed you and Erron gravitated towards each other. "So sugar, where you wanna go first?" You thought for a second and asked "Is there a library here?" He rolled his eyes and chuckled "I had a feeling you were gonna ask that." He put his hand out for you and once you took it he led you out of the throne room. "Come on, it's this way."

It was the most magnificent library you'd ever seen. It was filled to the brim and under a giant gold dome. The pillars and shelves were made of some sort of white stone and accented with gold. Each book was thick and made with real leather, from what animal you wondered. You inhaled deeply and exhaled with a bright smile. _The world is quiet here._

You ran your finger over the shelves and books as you passed them. The walls held a lot of history, you could just _feel_ the knowledge flowing in the air. You snapped out of it and asked the librarian for a tour, you knew you didn't have all day. You ended up staying in the history section, you wanted to learn more about Outworld's culture and history.

You learned of the various tyrants that ruled Outworld, specifically Shao Kahn, the most recent tyrant. That meant that Kotal Kahn was a massive change from previous rulers, that must've been liberating for the people of Outworld. You went on to learn of the many worlds and people Shao Kahn had conquered and the different Mortal Kombats held and The Great Kung Lao. 

You read up on the various races on Outworld and the Outworld civil war. You learned of the Osh-tekk, the Saurians, the Kytinn, the Centaurians who were mortal enemies with the Shokan and the Tarkatans. You learned of their former leader, Mileena. She had been chosen to ascend to the throne but you had no idea that she was only half Tarkatan. As you looked up to ask Erron a question you shrinked back down when you realized that he had been staring at you the whole time.

His eyes were distant as if he were daydreaming. So he hadn't been intentionally staring at you, good. As you cleared your throat you saw his eyes widen in horror as he realized he had been accidentally creeping. Shrugging it off you asked your question. "Umm I was wondering why the Tarkatans sided with Mileena during the Outworld Civil War when she was only half Tarkatan?"

Erron thought for a minute. "Well the Tarkatans had some power when Shao Kahn ruled and they knew that that would continue with Mileena." He rubbed the back of his neck "Plus they'd have more power if they stuck with their kin. Even if Mileena was just a clone, she technically still was Tarkatan"

"Wait. Wait. Wait. Mileena's a clone!? Of who!?" He furrowed his eyebrows. "I thought you knew. She's a clone of Kitana with some Tarkatan DNA. Shao Kahn wanted an heir more like him, so he had Shang Tsung make him one."

You just sat there stunned. "Holy shit. That's really fucked up." He nodded in response. You sighed. "Then I'm glad Kotal Kahn won. Who knows what the Tarkatans would've done to the citizens of Outworld." Erron hummed in agreement but said nothing.

Halfway through yet another book Erron told you that it was time to go. Disappointed, you neatly returned the book to its rightful place and promised it that you would return. You thanked Erron for escorting you to your room before you entered it. Thankfully you had a couple minutes to relax before you had to get ready.

_________________

As you entered the ballroom you readjusted your mask. You preferred to have it sit on your face as opposed to holding it. Your eyes skimmed over the crowd but only one person caught your attention. He wore a plain black mask over his eyes but interestingly he also had a black face mask on. Everything he wore was black, including the hat on his head and the cape behind him. You smiled as you approached him and you seemed to catch his attention as well.

"Why do you have two masks on?" You asked curiously. "Zorro only wears one." He shrugged and looked you up and down with wide eyes. "It wouldn't be all that fun without a little mystery don't you think?" You smiled even wider. "Now that's the Zorro I know and love! But it's not a mystery if I know who you are" He laughed and said "You don't know who I am, but you sure can take a guess."

Alright, you'd play along. "Well you're definitely not the Emperor, Reptile, or Ermac because of your skin tone. And you're for sure not Ferra or her little boy because of your size." You stated. You put your hand up to your chin and pretended like you were stumped. "And you obviously can't be that sexy cowboy I've been hanging around with, he's a lot smoother than you are." You managed to say through your laughter. 

His mask got tight around his face, indicating he was smiling dumbly under there. You felt your palms get a little sweaty. You could get used to the sight of Erron Black secretly smiling but you knew that was a lie. You wouldn't get used to making him happy.

"Now milady, I would be most honored if you could politely join me in a dance." He mockingly bowed in front of you and held his hand out for you. He pretended to be nonchalant by talking fancy but you could tell he was sweating bullets the size of the ones he owned. You smiled and took his hand with great pleasure. He held you firm but not close, much to your dismay.

What caught you off guard most was the fact that Erron danced really well. A lot better than you had expected. You gave voice to your thoughts and added "Where'd you learn how to dance so well?" His eyes darkened like they had before but then he smiled under his mask and said "Life with Ma wasn't always so bad." His eyes brightened a bit. "She taught me to dance. And I'm glad she did, so I could impress you." Cue one of his famous winks.

You hated it but goddamn it you couldn't help it. You shone your brightest smile yet and matched the blush that was hidden under his mask. He chuckled "But if you're not impressed yet I can show you more of my moves." You nodded and showed you his moves he did. So much so that you soon had to take a break.

Reptile smiled wildly at the sight of you two moving to sit down.

At the table you were greeted with a grand feast of strange food. You began downing everything in sight including your cup that kept being refilled. "Um angel, you might want to slow down a bit." Suggested Erron. "Are you kidding me!? This is the best food I've had since I got here." You managed between large bites. Erron shook his head "Nah, I'm talking about the black pine ale." You shook your head "No can do. It's too good. He hummed in agreement, "I know, but the downside to Outworld alcohol is that it takes longer to take effect but it hits harder and doesn't last as long." You snorted in his face. "I'm no lightweight Erron, I think I can handle myself." Pointing the cooked leg of some strange animal at his frowning face. You heard him mutter "Okaaay." to himself but said nothing.

Eventually you and your cowboy ended up back on the dancefloor. You danced circles around the other party guests, and came close to winning the prize for the best dance partners. Almost, if only Reptile hadn't gotten in the way. "Are you two having lotsss of fun?" He asked an eerie tone. You gave Erron a look with a clear message: _Be on your best behavior._ You sighed inwardly and turned to look at a face that only a mother could love. "Hello Reptile" you greeted in a fake cheery voice. "Yes we are having lots of fun, thank you for asking."

Reptile looked a but taken aback by your fake hospitality. "Well that'ss ssurprissing. Ussually Erron iss ussually in a more flirtatiouss mood. Jusst assk hiss lasst girl." Erron stepped in front of you "Why I oughta-" "That's quite enough Erron." Was heard from a stern voice. The Emporer stood to the side of Reptile and put a hand on his shoulder. "I will deal with Reptile, _personally_

."

Erron's shoulders tensed but he obeyed the Emporer. You would've felt bad for Reptile, if it were anyone but him. You resumed your dancing until later in the night, with short drink breaks in between. 

Slowly but surely your movements became more sluggish and you ft more and more bubbly. "Give me one sec Erron, gonna go get another drink." You started towards the bar yet again but your dance partner stopped you short. "Hold up. Don't think i haven't noticed that you're drunk. I'm cutting you off." You huffed at him. "No Erron please, just one more." You made puppy dog eyes at him, using the height difference to your advantage. You were met with a sharp "No." and huffed at him again. "You're no fun!" You spat at him as you spun around. Once you took your first step, you wobbled. You felt strong arms catch you. 

You looked up to see Erron and gave him a drunken smile."My hero." You said as he straightened you out. "Nah." He said. "I'm anything but that." You shook your head. "You're right!" You said with a mock stern expression kn your face. "You're my savior." Thus time he laughed. "Like I said the first time I picked you up off the floor. You should watch where you're going." It was your turn to laugh. 

"But you're okay right?" You nodded. "Better than okay but could you walk me to my room? I don't think I can do it myself." He happily obliged by putting your hand over his shoulders. Erron half-dragged you to your quarters which you were thankful for. Without him you probably would've collapsed and fallen asleep in one of the many hallways.

Once in your room you changed out of your outfit in the bathroom and then gladly collapsed on your bed. Honestly it was starting to feel more like home than just a guest room to you. The foreign alcohol had you giggling as Erron put your blanket over your shoulders. "Alright goodnight darlin'." He said before placing a kiss on your forehead, mask still in place. As he moved to leave you alone he felt some resistance.

He looked down to see you pulling in his arm. " _Stay_ " you half-whispered to him. He was frozen in place, unable to respond, that is until you pulled him closer to you. "Please stay. Don't make me sleep alone." He shook his head and then responded. "Normally I would dollface but you're in no condition for this." He made to move away again but you didn't let him. "(Y/N), please." His said with pleading eyes. He felt you let go before he heard you snoring. He covered you back up and quietly exited your room. 

_________________

You shot straight up when you woke up. Your breathing was heavy and you could feel a monster headache coming on. You walked into your bathroom and splashed your face with water before you drank a cup of it. When you looked at your reflection you remembered what had happened before you fell asleep. "Fuck. I have to go apologize."

You raced down the hallway but once you neared Erron's room you hesitated. What the hell am I going to say? You asked yourself. What if he doesn't forgive me? Oh Elder Gods I'm an idiot. You found yourself pacing in front of his room until you found the guts to knock. No answer. You knocked again and you were greeted by the same silence. You knocked a final time and no dice. 

You put your ear in the door and heard music in the distance. Seeing as how he couldn't hear you knocking you decided to let yourself in, which turned out to be a mistake.

You were greeted with a "Holy shit (Y/N)!!!" and a sight that was totally unexpected. Erron stood in front of his bathroom mirror brushing his teeth but that wasn't what caused the both of you to freak out. It was the sharp teeth that were partially visible behind the toothpaste.

Time seemed to come to a stop and your brained failed to form a response. You were snapped out of your gaze when Erron finally turned around. "What the hell are you doing here!?" He yelled while he ducked behind the door.

"I- I- I knocked a couple of times and when you didn't answer I thought it was because of your music so I let myself in." You managed to say. What the fuck!! He was Tarkatan!! How the hell did you not know? Does anyone else know?"

"I'm sorry for barging in, I'll just leave you alone." You started to move towards the door but felt him grab your hand. "Please don't go. I'll explain everything." 

_________________

You sat on Erron's bed and although facing him, you barely registered what he was saying. "Yeah. I've been keeping it under wraps for some time. I knew the tribe would never accept me." You shook your head thinking of what to say. "But wait they accepted Mileena why would they turn you away?" 

He sighed. "It's because Mileena has been Tarkatan for her whole life, I'm still mostly human. Plus they knew I could never remain loyal to them. They could never afford my services."

You gave him a sideways glance that made him smile sheepishly and show off his pearly whites. Pearly whites that could tear you apart. You didn't know whether to be relieved or scared that you finally got to see his whole face.

"Can you do me a favor though? Please, please don't tell anyone. Kotal might understand but I don't want to risk it." You sucked in a giant gulp of air once he looked up at you. You hadn't planned on spilling his secret but the way he looked at you solidified your decision. "I wouldn't dream of it cowboy." You smiled brightly at him. "It's kinda nice to have someone to share my secret with." He admitted nervously. You looked into his teary eyes and smiled. "What else are friends for?" 

He returned your smile with great happiness. You realized that this was one of the first real smiles that you'd seen from him and you decided you loved it, sharp teeth be damned. What added to it was the fact that his eyes changed to a bright amber. You reached up to his face. "Your eyes." Realization dawned on him and he moved away. "Dammit. I can control them most of the time." He turned to hide his face from you but you cupped his face with even more ferocity. "Don't. You can't hide the truth from me anymore. Besides..." Waving your hand in a manner you hoped was nonchalant. "I think they're beautiful... You're beautiful" You said trying to convey your sincerity while looking as cool as possible. He chuckled nervously. "I'm sorry doll it's just that that hasn't happened in a few centuries"

"Um, what?"

"Oh yeah. Um I'm kinda, sorta immortal." He stated plainly while rubbing the back of his neck. "That's why I'm barely Tarkatan. That's what gives me my immortality."

"Oh." Was all you said. You didn't want to press the issue further in fear of your head exploding. You honestly didn't think you could take anymore secrets. He put your hand in his "I know it's a lot to take in but I'm glad that it was you who walked in.

You smiled to yourself. "And why is that Mr .Black?" You voice soaked in fake innocence. It suddenly scared you how good you were at deflecting. "Because I knew one of these days I was gonna rip my mask off and kiss you stupid." He said while keeping eye contact with you.

It was then that you thanked the Elder Gods for not making you a balloon, or else you would've been laying flat on the ground from all the air you had just exhaled. You looked down at the bed while biting your lip. It wasn'tthat your love life was horrible on Earth but you just weren't used to someone being this into you.

You tried hard to come up with a response while you put an equal amount of effort into not spontaneously combusting. Well it wouldn't be spontaneous, but you know. Your search for the right words came to a stop when Erron pulled your chin up and stared at you with his glowing eyes. That's all you saw until you closed your eyes and felt his lips brush over yours. 

It was a lot softer than you imagined. You didn't think the daredevil cowboy currently kissing you could be this gentle. He was slow and observant, as if he was asking for permission and was holding himself back to do so. You gave it to him by deepening the kiss. He swiftly changed gears, making the kiss rougher. You smiled onto his mouth, it all felt so surreal. 

A while ago you weren't gonna stay and now you couldn't find a reason to leave. You interlocked your fingers behind his neck as he cupped your cheek. You sat there locking lips for who knows how long, but definitely not enough. You were surprised you couldn't feel his teeth but the thought was soon pushed back to ghd back if your mind. Erron kissed the corner of your mouth and slowly made a trail of kisses to the right side of your neck. He buried his face in the nape if you're neck, right above your collarbone and sucked. You again secretly thanked the Elder Gods for not making you a balloon. This man was gonna be the death if you. 

As he peppered kisses all over your neck and shoulders your hands roamed to the hem of Erron's shirt. You pulled up a but and gained a smirk from the man you were beginning to undress. You pulled the shirt back down, embarrassed. 

He gave you a questioning look and moved back. "You okay sugar?" You nodded slightly. "Yeah. I'm just- I don't know nervous. I'm scared I'll do something wrong." He chuckles lightly but without any hint of amusement. "There's no such thing as thing as wrong when it comes to sex okay? And if I don't like something I'll let you know. Same goes for you okay?" He pressed a reassuring kiss to your lips that washed all your worries away. "You can touch me any way you want. I don't mind." He meowled seductively. You snorted and pushed him away. "Will do."

He motioned for you to lay down which you did with pleasure. He resumed what he had been doing previously but this time your bodies were pressed a lot closer. His chest was in your stomach and his hand was played out in the bed to your side, trapping you in the best way possible. 

You reached back down to the hem of his shirt but this time you tugged it up towards where his mouth was affecting you in more ways than one. He separated from you to remove his shirt and oh jeez you did regret taking it off. You continued staring, immortalizing the image before you in your catalogue of mental pictures. 

It seemed like he didn't mind the attention and mirrored what you had done to him. He pulled your shirt up slightly and when you didn't pull his hands away he pulled it all the way up and off of you. Your shirt ended up on the other side of the room and when he turned back to look at you, he froze yet again. 

When he remained in the same place for s while a dark blush crept across your face and you became a bit self conscious and crossed your arms over your chest. Your hands were immediately removed from their position. "Don't hide yourself from me." He said seriously "I mean that in more ways than one." He added with more sincerity. 

You thought for a few seconds, tossing around his words in your head. You nodded and pulled the shorts you were wearing off. You weaved your fingers into his hair and pulled him down for an explosive kiss. You heard deep moans come from the back if his throat and smiled into another kiss. 

After a while of the two of you making out you undressed yourself and Erron. You were ready for this. More than that actually, you _wanted_ this.

Erron reached for the nightstand at the side of his bed. He grabbed a condom, opened it and put it on. He leaned forward and put his forehead on his own. "You don't have to do this if you dint want to." His amber eyes bite holes into you. "I know. And I'm telling you I would miss this for our worlds." He chuckled. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that." You grinned. "Pun intended." He facepalmed his forehead and kissed you gently yet again. You laughed once he broke away but your smile faded quickly. 

Your expression changed to a more focused one and slowly shifted to a pleasurable one. Erron started off slow. His hips rocked back and forth slowly with great restraint. He stared at you, looking to see if there was any discomfort in your face. When he found none, he snapped his hips faster. 

Over time he quickened his pace as he began leaving kisses up your sternum. Once he reached your neck again he sucked. Hard. It send a shiver if pain and pleasure up your spine. You scratched at his back, leaving marks that would be there tomorrow. 

It seemed that Erron like the pain you inflicted in him with your nails by the fact that he pistoned into you when he felt it. You gasped and scratched him further, gaining a few deep moans from him. You learned that you loved coaxing those types of sounds from him so you kissed him roughly and bit his lower lip as you pulled away. He quickened his pace to a punishing speed. 

He reached down as suckled even harder on your neck and eventually scraped his sharp teeth over your neck. You shifted under him in the best way possible. Normally you wouldn't be into this type of thing but you were with Erron, so anything was possible. He continued to drag his teeth over you as he took on a more reasonable pace. 

Your remained liked that for a while but you that were nearing your edge and it seemed Erron sensed it too. He picked up his face while his hands roamed all over you. It wasn't long before your body stuttered under his firm one and you drank in big gulps of air. You laid there tired and overjoyed. You wrapped your legs around Erron and assisted him in reaching his peak. He buried his face un your chest as his own fell and rose quickly. He moved separate the two of you but you locked your legs around him. "Wait stay like this for a while. I like the way you feel." He rolled his eyes while smiling but did as you asked. 

You played with his hair as he remained on top of you. "I'm so glad I met you Erron." You whispered to him. He looked up at you "Me too doll. Me too." Erron got up and went to the bathroom and came back with a towel around his waist. 

You sighed inwardly, sad that he wasn't walking around naked. He changed into shorts and he handed you your clothes. You got dressed and got up from his bed. This us the part you always hated. The part where you don't where you and the other person stand so you pretend like nothing happened. 

He climbed into the bed and looked st you confused. "Aren't you gonna sleep here tonight?" You raised your eyebrows a bit but said nothing as you plopped into the the bed. He laid in his side, his hand supporting his head. "So. What'd you think?" He asked as you curled into bed. You looked at him with astonishment. You chucked and replied "Best vacation ever." He laughed. "I feel the same way." You smiled as you curled up to him and closed your eyes. The last thing you saw before falling asleep was the ine Outworld moon you hadn't seen yet Ushido. And what a sight it was. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always feedback and criticism are always welcome. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I believe I have one more to go and that's it for this fic.


	5. Author Notes

Heyo dearest readers! I know it's been a while since I last updated. I've recently been having some personal problems but fear not for I have overcome them. I haven't forgot abkut this fic, quite the opposite really. What I meam by that is that I honestly don't know when and how I'm going to finish this fic. Should I end it next chapter or get a few more chapters in? Or maybe even more? I don't know. If any of you have any ideas or preferences please let me know, any and all ideas are welcome! What I can guarantee is that I will post at least ine more chapter hopefully in the mear future. Thank you guys so much for giving my work the time of day and I hope to hear from you soon <3

**Author's Note:**

> New at this but hope you enjoy. Constructive criticism is always encouraged.


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